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Josh Cohen

OrlandoMagic.com's Josh Cohen ranks his top 10 15th overall picks in NBA Draft history. Click through this slideshow for full analysis and rankings. The Orlando Magic will have the 15th pick in the 2020 draft.

Note: The contents of this gallery have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Orlando Magic and do not reflect the opinions of the Magic’s Basketball Operations staff, partners or sponsors.

Oubre averaged career highs in nearly every statistical category in 2019-20, his first full season with the Suns. His 18.7 points per game was second on the team behind Devin Booker’s 26.6. Booker was actually chosen two slots ahead of Oubre in the 2015 draft. If there was a redo of that year’s draft, Booker would likely be either the first or second pick and Oubre, a 6-foot-7 left-hander, would probably go somewhere in the top eight.

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Ranking Top 10 15th Overall Picks in NBA Draft History

ORLANDO - Obviously, Nikola Vucevic was much better in the 2020 playoffs against the Milwaukee Bucks than he was in the 2019 playoffs against the Toronto Raptors.

But, what about when comparing the two seasons in their entirety?

His Orlando Magic head coach, Steve Clifford, brought up something interesting during his season wrap-up media session this week.

“All of the best players in our league get better every year, regardless of their age,” he said. “Look at LeBron (James). LeBron gets better every year. Sometimes some summers it’s small things. Other times it’s been bigger things. That’s the way it’s always been. That’s the misconception, is that only the younger players have to get better in the summers. The older players have to get better too.”

Vucevic has, in general, done just that since coming into the NBA in 2011, which is why he’s now widely considered one of the elite big men in the game today. Each year, he has added something extra to his overall repertoire.

Statistics suggest Vucevic was a little better in 2018-19 than 2019-20. He was certainly more efficient overall, and he averaged more of almost everything, including points, rebounds, assists and blocks.

Another big factor that can’t be ignored is that Vucevic, like most of his teammates, went through the entire 2018-19 season without an injury. This year, he missed 11 games in late November/early December with a right lateral ankle sprain.

However, there were definitely things – based on optics and to a lesser degree data – that the nine-year NBA veteran did better at this season compared to last.

For one, while he did shoot higher percentages last season from very close to the basket (five to nine feet out) and much further away (20 feet and beyond), the 29-year-old hit the mark more frequently when he took mid-range jumpers. He knocked down 43.4 percent of his shots taken between 10 and 14 feet away (39.5 percent last season) and 48.8 percent of his attempts from 15 to 19 feet out (40.9 percent a year ago).

In 18 fewer games, Vucevic actually made 14 more 3-pointers in 2019-20 than last season. What that insinuates is that he was much more comfortable outside the arc, which was critical for the development of Markelle Fultz, who needs as much space as possible to get into the paint. Playing with a five-man who stretches the floor is exactly what Fultz relies on, which is one reason why he probably wasn’t a great fit in Philadelphia where Joel Embiid covers up so much room inside.

Although he averaged slightly fewer assists this year compared to last, Vucevic was a better overall playmaker in 2019-20. One particular statistic that is quite convincing of that is his pass percentage out of the post. In 2018-19, Vucevic passed out of the post 43 percent of the time, which is good. However, that got bumped up to 47.7 percent, which by the eye test makes sense because he seemed to always make the right reads when he posted a defender up.

Now to something that went way too far under the radar. Vucevic averaged only 1.4 turnovers per game this season, which is absolutely extraordinary for how often the ball was in his hands. Last year, he averaged 2.0 giveaways.

Here’s an incredible accomplishment: This season, Vucevic became the first center in NBA history to average at least 19 points and three assists while turning the ball over fewer than 1.5 times per game, per Stathead. Only three players ever at any position have done this. The other two are Jimmy Butler, who averaged 20.0 points, 3.3 assists and 1.4 turnovers in 2014-15 with the Chicago Bulls, and Tobias Harris, who this year with the 76ers averaged 19.6 points, 3.2 assists and 1.4 turnovers.

Being named an All-Star in 2018-19 is certainly a reason to say he was better a year ago. In both years, he was an Eastern Conference Player of the Week winner – coincidentally the honor was claimed by the Orlando 7-footer at the same exact time of each season (mid-November).

Always amazing considering the position he plays, Vucevic has fouled out just twice in the last four seasons. It happened once in 2018-19 and once in 2019-20.

The playoffs, as brought up at the top of this article, is clearly where Vucevic was better this year. Against the Bucks in the Magic’s first round series, he averaged 28.0 points, 11.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists. A season ago against the Raptors, he averaged 11.2 points, 8.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists.

He was so spectacular against the Bucks that he became the fourth Magic player ever to score 30-plus points three times in a postseason series.

“Vooch was so good. He played well so,” Magic President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman said. “This is the player that Vooch is. He is a modern big. He stretches the floor but he can also punish a mismatch if you want to try to guard him with a wing. He’s got a very high IQ, a very high skillset. I think that what we saw in the bubble was just laser-like focus. He was very consistent. He was very focused. He clearly elevated our team. So, I thought he was great.”

In this debate, you can’t go wrong either way, really. Vucevic was terrific in both years. Most are in agreement that he’s a top five center currently in the league. Some might even have him in the top three. Where his game goes from here remains to be seen. There isn’t much he doesn’t do well. It’s just a matter of him staying consistent and continuing to read the game as well as he’s capable of. His defense has improved over the years, but of course it can get better. It would be a huge boost for him, and the Magic as a whole, if he can draw more fouls. Vucevic averaged just 2.7 free throw attempts in 2019-20.

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Was Nikola Vucevic Better in 2018-19 or 2019-20?

Dan Savage

ORLANDO -- From the moment the Orlando Magic arrived at the Walt Disney World campus for the NBA restart wearing t-shirts that read, “GET OFF THE BENCH, GET INTO THE GAME, VOTE,” the organization’s commitment to bringing about social change and combatting racism has been delivered loud and clear.

On Wednesday, the Magic continued their efforts to put those words into action.

Magic CEO Alex Martins, President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman, Head Coach Steve Clifford and center Mo Bamba were on hand as the Magic announced that they’ve partnered with the City of Orlando, Orange County and Orange County Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles to open Amway Center as an early voting location.

“We are thrilled to say that the Amway Center will be an early voting location here in Orange County,” Martins said. “In addition, we want to recognize the DeVos family, our entire team of players and coaches, and specifically today, I’d like to thank our President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman, our head coach Steve Clifford and Magic center Mo Bamba for pushing us forward in these efforts and really initiating these conversations.”

The facility will be open starting October 19 through November 1 from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. ET on the north side of Amway Center at the Church Street entrance inside the Disney Atrium. All registered voters from Orange County will be able to cast their ballot at the Amway Center location, which is one of 20 early voting locations within Orange County. In addition, on National Voter Registration Day, the Amway Center will be open on September 22 for voter registration. This will also take place inside the Disney Atrium from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“This voting location once again shows the power of collaboration and partnership that we have here in Central Florida,” City of Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said. “I want to thank our partners, the Orlando Magic, Alex Martins, coach Clifford, the players and the NBA for making voting a priority.”

Increasing voting awareness and access has been an overriding theme for the NBA since resuming action. Fifteen other teams in the league have already announced plans to open their arena doors for access to voting with many others expected to follow suit. State laws, public ownership of certain facilities and buildings undergoing renovations may prevent certain organizations from doing the same, but in those instances teams will likely promote messaging that will drive voters to local precincts.

“With the NBA, they’re so influential in the lives of our young adults and our teens,” Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said. “With some of our young adults, this is going to be the first time they’ve ever voted in a presidential election.”

It won’t stop there. The NBA recently announced that its teams, players and coaches agreed to immediately establish a social justice coalition, with representatives from players, coaches and team governors, that will be focused on a broad range of issues, including increasing access to voting, promoting civic engagement and advocating for meaningful police and criminal justice reform.

“We all have platforms, but some may have platforms that reach differently,” said Bamba, who’s been active in the movement since June through his partnership with More Than a Vote. “As long as we’re all spreading the same message and unified this could be great.”

For the Magic, this initiative highlights their continued effort to combat racial injustice and bring the conversation of social change to the forefront.

“In order to make real change, we have to change laws, we have to change local policies, we have to change the way that we live,” Clifford said recently. “For all of us, the way that we can do that is to vote.”

That’s more than just words for the Magic. The team recently partnered with the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, which is recognized for its work on voting and criminal justice reform issues. It’s charged by President and Executive Director Desmond Meade, who led the FRRC to a historic victory in 2018 with the successful passage of Amendment 4, a grassroots citizen’s initiative which restored voting rights to over 1.4 million Floridians with past felony convictions. Amendment 4 represented the single largest expansion of voting rights in the United States in half a century and brought an end to 150 years of a Jim Crow-era law in Florida.

Prior to entering the NBA restart, Magic players, coaches and Basketball Operations staff also took part in an interactive Zoom call with Meade to discuss how they could enact social change and get others to vote in the coming months.

“We will be implementing various voting initiatives over the course of the next several weeks,” Martins said. “Our social justice task force meets (today) and they have been talking about various voting initiatives. So you’re going to see a very proactive and very public message from the Orlando Magic through social media and other mediums communicating to everyone in Orange County to register to vote here in the short term and then to get out to vote during the early voting period or on election day.”

The Magic have worked closely with Let Your Voice Be Heard, Inc, which is composed of community advocates and residents who have chosen to aid the fight for change and reform in impoverished neighborhoods by providing tools and resources that are so desperately needed in under-served and under-represented neighborhoods.

“Again, this whole thing is about trying to get people to understand that racism is a problem, bigotry is a problem, police accountability is a problem, and we’ve got to make changes,” Clifford said.

As Martins mentioned, the organization also developed a Social Justice Internal Task Force, which will address everything from recruiting and hiring practices to staff education to governmental, business and law enforcement relation initiatives.

In recent months, players and staff have also taken part in peaceful protests. Magic guard Michael Carter-Williams, among the players who’ve protested, took part in Demings‘ MLK Virtual Town Hall Meeting on July 15 along with Orlando County Sheriff John Mina and Orlando Police Chief Orlando Rolon. Last week, the Magic also held a call with Mina to discuss racial injustice and police brutality.

“We have a big platform that we can use to really make change in this country,” Carter-Williams said recently. “It starts with going home to our own cities and making change there. It starts with encouraging people to vote. It starts with using our platform to talk to people with power in this country and creating change.”

The NBA as a whole has shown tremendous commitment to these causes. The league has created the NBA Foundation that will contribute $300 million in initial funding focused on economic empowerment in the Black community. Over the next 10 years, the 30 NBA team owners will collectively contribute $30 million annually establishing this new, leaguewide charitable foundation. Through its mission to drive economic empowerment for Black communities through employment and career advancement, the NBA Foundation will seek to increase access and support for high school, college-aged and career-ready Black men and women, and assist national and local organizations that provide skills training, mentorship, coaching and pipeline development in NBA markets and communities across the United States and Canada.

Now, more than ever, it's time for everyone to get off the bench, get into the game, and vote.

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Orlando Magic Join the City of Orlando to Open Amway Center as Early Voting Location

Those are just two of the many inspirational messages and keywords inscribed on a mural now living at Parramore’s New Image Youth Center (NIYC).

The painting, named “Basketball Sunrise,” is the collective work of 13 and 14-year-old Jr. NBA Championship athletes, who created it to illustrate the importance of global unity and social change through the lens of basketball.

Jr. NBA, with assistance from the Orlando Magic who have worked with the NIYC on many projects and events through the years, decided the youth center was the best home for it. During a Zoom call, which featured Jr. NBA representatives, members of the Magic, including Community Ambassador Bo Outlaw, and several of NIYC’s students, the mural was unveiled at the youth facility.

Now every time Christopher Amervil, a 16-year-old junior at Oak Ridge High School, is at the facility doing homework, developing skills or participating in activities that improve his health, this painting will motivate him even more to achieve his goals and take an active role in his community.

“I think it’s special because there are a lot of impact words that impact the youth in a great way,” he said. “With them (his NIYC peers) seeing it, it can help them do greater things and come as one and to stop what’s going on in the world now.”

The phrase “Unity Is Strength” in particular really resonates with Amervil, who says the NIYC lifts him up, boosts his spirits and makes him feel right at home every time he’s there.

“I come here and I think of each and every one of them as family,” he said. “So, I’ll see ‘Unity Is Strength,’ that will be words that will impact me the most because I can come here and just know that this is one big family with everybody here.”

The last two summers, the Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World was the home for the Jr. NBA Global Championship, which featured 16 boys and girls teams, eight from the United States and eight from the rest of the world. That complex is again being utilized by the league this year, although it’s NBA teams who are occupying the space as they continue their mission to complete the 2019-20 season.

With the circumstances being what they are and with social distancing such an important part of trying to combat the coronavirus pandemic, the Jr. NBA Global Championship event went virtual this year. Nearly 3,000 teens from dozens of different countries participated in a series of virtual basketball competitions. Through innovative online technology, teams squared off in events that tested their athletic gifts, basketball skills, and team unity. On the boys side, a team from the Asia Pacific region won the title, while for the girls it was a squad from Latin America that took home the trophy.

One of Jr. NBA’s four core values is community, which is NIYC’s forte. With all that has been happening around the country tied to social injustice, educating the Jr. NBA athletes was a big part of the program this year. That’s how the mural came about, as the players got creative and applied their artistic talents to show what social change means to them.

“This is beyond inspirational because we are living in a perilous moment right now,” NIYC Founder and Executive Director Dr. Shanta Barton-Stubbs said. “For it to be the NBA, first off, Jr. NBA and the Orlando Magic and for this message to be so strong, I’m just appreciative knowing that the ones who have supported us all for the last ten, fifteen years, it’s not just a statement, it’s really something that they believe in.”

“We are just excited,” she added. “Number one because we’ve been talking about social justice with our kids, but you don’t know how well you connect all the time with them. Having a piece in here that will actually start provoking conversations about it, they are starting to see that their lives matter to more than just the people here at New Image Youth Center. They know we are a family. They know we love them. But to know that people outside of these doors are supporting them – the Orlando Magic, basketball players whom they believe in, the team who they believe in is supporting that Black Lives Matter as well – is just as important. This piece will remind us about that.”

Since its inception in 2004, the NIYC has provided a safe place for children to learn and play while helping many achieve their dreams of going to college.

One of four core pillars at the NYC is social development, which focuses on helping kids build healthy communication skills, teamwork, and leadership abilities. The other three concentrate on academic support, health and wellness, and crisis prevention.

It’s important now more than ever for youth to come together and brainstorm ways they can make a difference in their communities.

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Mural Designed by Jr. NBA Players Illustrating Global Unity and Social Change Unveiled at New Image Youth Center

ORLANDO - One of the big questions coming into the 2019-20 season was whether the Orlando Magic would catch a break with injuries for a second straight year. In 2018-19, the Magic made significant progress largely because injuries occurred infrequently, and when they popped up they were mostly minor setbacks.

To believe that would happen again may have been a pipe dream, as what typically transpires in the NBA reared its ugly head in a big way. In fact, the injuries came so fast and frequent that you started to wonder if some of them were “makeup” injuries for what didn’t happen the prior year.

Despite the recurring hindrances, the Magic still found a way to advance to the playoffs for a second straight season. They even won a game against the mighty (and healthy) Milwaukee Bucks in the first round while extremely undermanned. What it showed, probably more than anything else, is that this year’s Magic team was deep enough, versatile enough and tough enough to overcome all the adversity. When a guy went down, others stepped up and filled the void.

“The number one thing I would say about our team, and I’m very proud of this, is the resiliency that they showed to continue to make improvement during the season after we took those injuries and they did the same thing in the bubble,” Magic Head Coach Steve Clifford said. “Although we’re disappointed that we didn’t win a playoff series and didn’t go further in the playoffs because that’s what our league is all about, I think our guys, again, showed great resiliency. They stuck together. And if you were with them every day, you saw the way they worked and the way they practiced towards making progress, which is a difficult thing to do in pro sports.”

Nearly every player was out of action for some stretch of time with an injury (or two, or even three of them). Amazingly, the only player that pretty much dodged any major setbacks was Markelle Fultz, who appeared in 72 of Orlando’s 73 regular season games and all five of its postseason games. What’s stunning about it is that he played in just 33 games in his first two NBA seasons combined with the Philadelphia 76ers.

The feeling that injuries might become a problem for the Magic started on Nov. 20 in Toronto. Both Nikola Vucevic and Aaron Gordon suffered ankle injuries in the second quarter of Orlando’s game against the Raptors. Vucevic ended up missing 11 games with his right lateral ankle sprain, while Gordon was able to return after just a three-game absence from his right ankle contusion.

Around that same time, Al-Farouq Aminu, Orlando’s top acquisition in free agency last summer, needed surgery after he tore his meniscus in his right knee. That injury cost him the remainder of the season – a huge blow especially because of his ability to guard multiple positions.

Both of the Magic’s backup point guards, D.J. Augustin and Michael Carter-Williams, missed their share of time. Augustin had to sit out 16 games in the heart of winter with a left knee injury, while Carter-Williams missed blocks of time. First it was a hip injury that forced him out of action for a chunk of games in November and early December. Then a shoulder sprain cost him another 13 games in late December and a portion of January. Finally, a foot injury held him out of the Magic’s final five seeding games and all five of their postseason games.

Evan Fournier suffered a ligament sprain in his elbow during a March game in Miami, which prevented him from playing in Orlando’s last three games before the hiatus. Then at Disney, he got sick (non-COVID) and was out the last three seeding games. He clearly wasn’t 100 percent during the playoffs, which made it tough for him to dig up enough energy to battle against Milwaukee’s stifling defense.

Gordon’s second setback came at the worst time possible. Against the Raptors at Disney, the 6-foot-8, 235-pounder was hacked on the arm by Kyle Lowry while in the air on a dunk attempt. He landed awkwardly and hurt his left hamstring. That injury ultimately knocked him out for the remainder of the season, as he left the Disney campus during the playoffs. That was a major jolt to the Magic who felt he was someone that could make things a bit more challenging for Giannis Antetokounmpo in their series against the Bucks.

The two most devastating injuries of the year happened to burgeoning star Jonathan Isaac. Both were left knee injuries. The first one occurred on New Year’s Day in the nation’s capital when he suffered a posterior lateral corner injury and medial bone contusion. That injury was expected to keep him out for the rest of the season. However, because of the hiatus, enough time passed for the 6-foot-11, versatile forward to recover and play during the season restart. After a few excellent performances upon his return, the 22-year-old went down again. This time he tore his ACL in the same knee.

Other Magic players dealt with setbacks as well. Mo Bamba, who was only able to play in two games at Disney, had to leave the campus for a comprehensive post-coronavirus evaluation. Terrence Ross temporarily left Disney but returned after dealing with an illness that caused inflammation and spasms in his chest. Also at Disney, Wes Iwundu had to enter the NBA’s concussion protocol after a scary fall.

Making the playoffs with all these injuries isn’t easy, and it proved the Magic weren’t going to let anything stop them from reaching that goal.

You can’t help but wonder, though, how much more the Magic could have accomplished if injuries weren’t as much of a factor as they were. If healthy, the Magic had all the pieces to be an elite defensive team, which they generally were when they had Isaac , Gordon and Aminu available at the same time. From the start of the season until Dec. 1, only the Denver Nuggets gave up fewer opponent points than the Magic. Their defensive rating during that period was 103.9, ninth best in the league.

A complete Magic team could have fared extremely well against the Bucks in the playoffs. Gordon, Isaac and Aminu have all had some success in the past defending Antetokounmpo. Orlando’s collective length would have probably caused some problems for Milwaukee. Having Carter-Williams, another great defender, and Bamba, a floor-spacing five man, in that series would have been a boost, too.

Where the Magic go from here is unknown at the moment. Isaac will be unavailable next season as he is in the early stages of his rehabilitation. With how hard he works and how committed he is to his craft, there’s no reason to believe he won’t come back even stronger and be a more complete player.

The others will now have plenty of time to heal from any injuries they are currently nursing. It should be also be noted that Chuma Okeke, the Magic’s first round draft pick a year ago, could be ready to make his NBA debut by the time next season starts, whenever that is. Okeke, a 6-foot-8, 230-pound forward, tore his ACL in his left knee during the 2019 NCAA Tournament while playing for the Auburn Tigers.

The key for him going forward is to participate in live action, which is limited across the league right now for players outside of the Disney campus. He’s able to do on-court work, but because of the current NBA social distancing protocols, he, just like all other players not at Disney, is only allowed to do drill work that doesn’t require physical contact with others.

“Chuma’s done really well. He’s progressed…I would say he’s at the late stages of his rehab and development,” Magic President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman said. “He’s an amazing kid. I really believe that our fans are going to love him. He’s of the utmost character. He’s all about team first. It’s the way that he plays. It’s the way that he thinks. He’s done really well with his rehab. It’s just that there’s really no forum right now for him to really kind of take that to the next level. We look very much forward to him being a part of our team next year. I’m just hopeful that as we progress through this offseason, there are ways to ramp up his development through live action. We are limited right now.”

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Injuries to Several of the Orlando Magic's Core Players Were a Big Factor Throughout 2019-20

ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic’s 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons were similar in some ways. Both years the Magic made the playoffs and lost in five games in the first round after winning Game 1 in each series. Also in both campaigns, the team made significant progress as the season evolved. In 2018-19, Orlando won 22 of its final 31 regular season games. This year, it won eight of its last 12 before the hiatus, and then won its first two games during the season restart at Walt Disney World.

But, there definitely were some major differences as well. The most glaring of them all were the injuries in 2019-20, which didn’t hinder the Magic the prior year. Almost everyone at one point or another missed action with at least one injury. Some of the injuries and consequences turned out relatively minor – like when Nikola Vucevic sprained his right ankle during a late November game in Toronto that caused him to miss the next 11 contests. Others were much more crushing. Al-Farouq Aminu, who signed with Orlando last summer as a free agent, had to have surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee in early December, which prevented him from returning the rest of the year. Jonathan Isaac injured his left knee twice – first on New Year’s Day at Washington, D.C. when he suffered a posterior lateral corner injury and medial bone contusion and then again during the second game of the restart at Disney when he tore his ACL.

Not having those two, Aaron Gordon, who missed the Magic’s final nine games including Orlando’s entire first round playoff series with a hamstring strain, and two other key reserves, Michael Carter-Williams (foot) and Mo Bamba (comprehensive post-coronavirus evaluation), made it awfully difficult for the Magic to have a realistic chance at upsetting the Milwaukee Bucks in the postseason. Winning one game, considering all the absences, was a fairly big accomplishment, especially since the players they needed to try and contain Giannis Antetokounmpo were all out.

“I’m proud of the guys,” Magic Head Coach Steve Clifford said. “I’m proud of the way they handled themselves in the bubble. Obviously, we were dealt with more than our share of injury issues. They worked hard. They’ve had good attitudes…We fought hard. We need to take some time and obviously everybody exhale and then look for when next season will start and everything like that so we can get organized.”

Plenty went right for the Magic, though, throughout the year, which helped them reach the playoffs in back-to-back years for the first time since doing so in the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons, when Clifford was an assistant coach under Stan Van Gundy.

For one, Nikola Vucevic had another terrific season. He was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week in mid-November, just before he injured his ankle. Unlike last year when he struggled in the playoffs against Toronto, Vucevic was spectacular against Milwaukee in this year’s postseason. In fact, he became the fourth player in franchise history to score 30-plus points in three games of a playoff series.

Gordon elevated his play after the All-Star break, or in his case after his dazzling dunk contest performance. During that stretch, the 6-foot-8, 235-pounder recorded his first NBA triple-double.

Evan Fournier, who clearly wasn’t 100 percent in the playoffs after battling with a non-COVID illness at Disney, averaged a career high in scoring in the regular season and shot just a shade under 40 percent from 3-point distance.

Terrence Ross will likely get some votes for the league’s Sixth Man of the Year Award after having another excellent season. The 6-foot-6, 206-pounder led the NBA in off-screen points and was tied for third with Damian Lillard for most times getting fouled while in the act of attempting a 3-pointer.

Before his first of two knee injuries, Isaac was certainly in the running for the Defensive Player of the Year Award. Only he and Anthony Davis averaged at least two blocks and one steal among players who appeared in at least 10 games.

Acquiring James Ennis III from Philadelphia at the trade deadline was a big win for the Magic, who made significant progress with him added into the lineup. His range shooting, excellence in transition and defensive versatility gave Orlando a huge lift during the second half of the year.

One of the NBA’s most uplifting stories was the play of Markelle Fultz, who played in 72 of the Magic’s 73 regular season games. What’s incredible about that is that he appeared in just 33 games in his first two seasons combined with the 76ers. The 6-foot-3, 209-pounder averaged 12.1 points and 5.1 assists and was one of the league’s best mid-range shooters.

“Kelle is just ahead of his time,” said fellow Magic point guard D.J. Augustin, who himself had a solid year. “He’s very mature for his age and he just knows the game. Guys who play this game and the game comes to them mentally, it shows. He definitely showed that this season. He felt great the entire season and he definitely showed all the doubters what he could do. I’m just happy for him. I’m proud of him. And one thing about him, he’s going to continue to keep getting better this summer. He’s never satisfied and I’m just happy for him.”

Although there were a lot of ups and downs throughout the year, the Magic had stretches in which they were amongst the best teams in particular areas. There were some strange twists and turns, too. Orlando limited opponents to 105.3 points per game from the start of the season until Feb. 10, which ranked No. 1 in the league. However, after Feb. 10, opponents averaged 117.3 points, which ranked 27th.

Meanwhile, on the other end of the floor, the Magic went from the bottom to the top. Over its first 19 games, Orlando averaged a league-low 101.0 points. Then from Feb. 10 until the league’s stoppage due to the pandemic, the Magic averaged a league-best 120.8 points.

For the second straight year, the Magic ranked in the top 10 in all four of the following defensive categories: opponent second chance points (No. 1), opponent points off turnovers (tied for No. 1), opponent fast break points (No. 4) and opponent points in the paint (No. 9). They were the only team this season in the NBA to accomplish this feat. Last year, the Bucks and Magic both achieved this.

As was the case for every team at Disney, it wasn’t easy for the Magic to get back into a rhythm after being off the court and out of the gym for an extended period of time while waiting to find out what the league was going to do during those first few months after the pandemic started. Kudos to all the Magic’s coaches and players for staying prepared during that time, as they were able to quickly focus in on their main objective which was to secure a playoff spot.

Where the Magic go from here remains to be seen. This offseason will obviously be unique for every team with so much uncertainty moving forward. When next season will start, where games will be played, when free agency will begin are all unanswerable questions at the moment.

Orlando will have the 15th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Just as a reminder, two of the league’s best players, Kawhi Leonard and Antetokounmpo, were each chosen 15th overall.

But as the Magic now reflect on their 2019-20 campaign, they have reasons to be encouraged and plenty to be optimistic about going forward.

“I think we have some good young pieces that moving forward are going to get better,” Vucevic said. “We have some experienced guys that have gone through playoff series. That always helps -- two seasons where we fought through ups and downs and we were able to finish up strong. There’s some good stuff for us going forward that we can build on, but again, we will have to wait and see if any changes happen (about) how we are going to look going into next year.”

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Magic Have Plenty to be Proud Of As They Begin to Reflect on Unique 2019-20 Season

Infrequently do teams facing elimination in a Game 5 rally after falling behind by 20 points or more after halftime. That wasn’t the case for the Orlando Magic, who trimmed a 21-point deficit to three with under eight minutes remaining in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s Game 5. The Milwaukee Bucks, however, made sure a Game 6 wouldn’t be necessary, as they regained control to finish off the Magic, 118-104, and advance to the conference semifinals where they will take on the Miami Heat. For the second straight year, the Magic lost in the first round in five games after winning Game 1.

Down just three, the Magic had an opportunity to reclaim possession after Brook Lopez missed a 3-pointer with 7:20 left in the game. However, the Bucks collected two straight offensive rebounds, which allowed Marvin Williams, who formerly played under Steve Clifford in Charlotte, to drill one of his four triples. That started a 9-0 Milwaukee run, and Orlando was unable to dig up enough energy to rally again. With Giannis Antetokounmpo on the bench due to foul trouble, the Magic used a 14-4 run early in the fourth to pull within three after trailing by as much as 21 earlier in the second half.

If the Magic were completely healthy – meaning they had Aaron Gordon, Jonathan Isaac, Al-Farouq Aminu, Mo Bamba and Michael Carter-Williams in this series – how much more competitive would this series have been? It’s an interesting question, especially because Gordon, Isaac and Aminu have all had success guarding Antetokounmpo in the past. Carter-Williams is also a great defender, and Bamba would have certainly helped space the floor and protect the rim. The Magic gave a great effort despite all the absences. Few gave Orlando a chance of winning a single game in this series, which they did.

In the series, the Magic buried 75 3-pointers, which is impressive. They had to make a ton of threes to be competitive considering the Bucks make it very tough to score in the paint. The problem was Milwaukee made even more shots from downtown. The Bucks sank 79 3-pointers. Orlando averaged just 28.0 points in the paint this series, which clearly wasn’t enough to keep up with Milwaukee. The Magic only had 11 turnovers in Game 5, five fewer than Game 4, and the Bucks scored just nine fast break points.

Kudos to the Magic’s bench. Orlando outscored Milwaukee by 15 when Khem Birch was on the court, 12 when Terrence Ross was out there and 10 when Wes Iwundu was on the floor. D.J. Augustin also had a solid performance with 15 points. Although he wasn’t as efficient compared to his first four games of the series, Nikola Vucevic led the Magic with 22 points, 15 rebounds and five assists.

The NBA playoffs resumed Saturday after team owners, league executives, players and coaches agreed to a new series of social justice efforts. As part of the agreement, the league announced a plan to convert team arenas into voting locations for the 2020 general election. Saturday’s Game 5 between the Magic and Bucks was originally going to be played this past Wednesday. However, the Bucks, with the support of all the other teams, boycotted the game following the police shooting of 29-year-old Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, which is about 40 miles south of Milwaukee.

“I think we took a step forward this year compared to last year. I know we still lost four-one, but it was a much better showing. Except Game 3, we were fighting all five games…I think we learned from last year. We were better this year. Obviously, there is still a lot of work to do. We exited again in the first round. There are things that we need to get better at and stuff we need to improve on if we want to move forward…I’m still very proud of my teammates, very proud of all we did, fighting through a lot of ups and downs this season, a lot of injuries, a lot of adversity…I thought we put up a good fight. I’m very proud of my teammates and I’m very proud to have been a part of this team.” - Vucevic

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Magic’s 2019-20 Season Ends With Game 5 Loss to Bucks

ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic and its players are fully committed to doing everything in their power to create real, systemic change.

A key to that happening is good communication. Talking with local leaders and politicians, sharing ideas, expressing concerns, and learning about what’s being instituted in their communities are crucial.

That’s why spending some time on an interactive call with Orange County Sheriff John Mina on Friday before their team practice was extremely enlightening for the Magic’s players and coaches as they continue to fight against racial injustice and police brutality.

“It was just an educational meeting for us to talk to him about some stuff that we wanted to get clarification on, some of his thoughts,” Magic center Nikola Vucevic said. “Things that we can both do to help the fight against social injustice. I just think it was a good meeting for both sides and for us players to just learn more about certain processes of how it works. A lot of positives came out of that meeting and it was good for us to have that.”

Earlier Friday, the NBA, team owners, coaches and players officially agreed to a resumption of the NBA playoffs with an understanding that more must be done to initiate positive change. From converting team arenas to voting venues for the 2020 general election to raising voting awareness through advertising campaigns during the playoffs, the league is preparing to do much more for the movement.

Magic guard Michael Carter-Williams, who’s been very active the last few months fighting for change, isn’t surprised the NBA as a whole was able to come together and figure out a way to continue the playoffs while strategizing a plan to help transform our society.

“It shows a big step,” he said. “It shows that everybody is committed for the same goal, and that’s to help communities and help this world. It’s bigger than just basketball. It was great to have players and owners meet together and really try to make a change. We got to voice our opinions, and they are in agreement with us and they’re in full support. I think it was a big moment for us as an association, but also to the world. There’s a lot of power that we hold. There’s a lot of power that the owners hold.”

Playoff games that were originally scheduled Wednesday, Thursday and Friday were postponed after the Milwaukee Bucks, the Magic’s first round playoff opponent, boycotted Game 5. The Magic, along with all the other NBA teams, fully supported that decision and stood by them until everyone in the league discussed and agreed to a plan moving forward. WNBA games were also postponed earlier this week, as were some MLB, NHL and MLS games as sports leagues continue to use their platforms to push for reform. Game 5 between the Magic and Bucks will now take place on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on FOX Sports Florida and ESPN with Milwaukee holding a 3-1 series lead.

The shooting of 29-year-old Jacob Blake by a police officer in Kenosha, Wisconsin was the latest incident to prompt outrage around the nation. The hope now is that with the NBA taking the action it did this week, more will be done to reverse these social issues.

“It’s definitely been emotional,” Carter-Williams said. “There’s been ups and downs. There’s been frustration. I’ve been angry. Nobody likes seeing that. Nobody likes when Black people are being mistreated. That’s something that obviously shouldn’t happen. And when it does time and time again, people get frustrated and people want it to stop. So, I’m just trying to do my part. Whatever I can do, whoever I can speak to, wherever I need to go, I just want to play my part.”

The meeting with Mina was the latest one Magic coaches and players have had with local officials and leaders on issues related to racial injustice. Prior to arriving at Disney for the season restart, they took part in an interactive call with Florida Rights Restoration Coalition President and Executive Director Desmond Meade, who led the FRRC to a historic victory in 2018 with the successful passage of Amendment 4, a grassroots citizen’s initiative which restored voting rights to over 1.4 million Floridians with past felony convictions. Amendment 4 represented the single largest expansion of voting rights in the United States in half a century and brought an end to 150 years of a Jim Crow-era law in Florida.

“I had some communication with Desmond (on Wednesday morning) and it’s going to be something we’ll continue to do,” Magic Head Coach Steve Clifford said. “This is something that’s going to take time and we have to stay at it and we have to be diligent and forceful. We have to continue to do it, so we do make the right change and we vote people in that are thinking along those same lines.”

Carter-Williams, meanwhile, contributed to Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings’ MLK Virtual Town Hall Meeting on July 15, which also featured Mina and Orlando Police Chief Orlando Rolon.

The Magic have also worked closely with Let Your Voice Be Heard, Inc., which is composed of community advocates and residents who have chosen to aid the fight for change and reform in impoverished neighborhoods by providing tools and resources that are so desperately needed in under-served and under-represented neighborhoods.

The Magic are also developing a Social Justice Internal Task Force, which will address everything from recruiting and hiring practices to staff education to governmental, business and law enforcement relation initiatives.

“One of the things that Bryan Stevenson (Founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative) has talked to all of us about doing is educating ourselves and then helping our players become more educated also,” Clifford said. “We are going to be working with a number of people in the community in different areas and today was one of those calls. It was productive and I think the players got a lot out of it. And like I said, we will be doing more of that in the future.”

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Orlando Magic Players, Coaches Meet With Orange County Sheriff John Mina as Push for Social Reform Continues

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Due to Tropical Storm Nicole, the NBA has announced that the Dallas Mavericks at Orlando Magic game on Wednesday, November 9 will tip-off at 5:30 PM. Amway Center doors open at 4:30 PM.